Chiacchia Hospitalized With Meningitis & MRSA

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Western New York Olympic equestrian Darren Chiacchia is in the hospital, seriously ill with fungal meningitis and MRSA.

A family spokesperson says the 48-year-old is being treated at Buffalo General Hospital.

The spokesperson, Hallie McEvoy, says though it's not definitively known how Chiacchia got fungal meningitis, he likely did not get it from a steroid shot linked to a tainted batch for back pain made by a pharmacy in Massachusetts.

Fungal meningitis can be acquired by working on a farm, as the type of fungus is commonly found in soil samples.

Chiacchia has horse farms in Ocala, Florida and Springville, New York.

He was on the bronze-medal winning U.S. team at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.